Controlling device



, July 20,1926.Y Y

v C. @TAYLOR CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed July -15, -1925 2 Sheets-shed 11,593,478 c. c. TAYLOR v commune nnvrca Fileduuly 13. 1925' zsheets-sheet 2 I .nf A1; 7 @www l im;

Patented July 20, 1926.

UNITED sr'rs CHARLES C. TAYLOR, OFSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

CON TROLLIN Gr DEVICE.

Application inea July 13, 1925. serial No. 43,353.

l The invention relates to improvements broadly in a controlling devicefor transmittingmovement toy an element to be operated and for lockingsaid element against V.movement by force applied directly thereto. y Y.While the control device is capable of use .in unlimited fields such,for instance, as in hoists elevators, and the like, it is highly fapplicable for use in connection with the l0 steering wheels of motorvehicles by means of which the steering kwheels may be turned throughthe operation of the steering shaft,

while the control mechanism for imparting such power to the steeringwheels serves to set the steering wheel to run in a given direction eventhoughr they encounter an obstacle lor irregular road surface, asmovement to the wheels can only be imparted through the steering shaft.

More specifically, the invention comprises a controlling mechanisminterposed between the steering mechanism and the front wheels Y of avehicle, which will act to transmit movement .to said front wheels fromthe steering mechanism upon the operation of .such mechanism, but. willlock said wheels againstY movement by reason of any strains or forcesapplied directly to the wheels while traveling over a roadway, therebykeeping V the lfront Wheels set in a straight path and changing theirdirection only when the operator believes such a change to be necessary,and actuates said wheels through the steering mechanism. i In thedrawings, Fig. 1 designates the device as applied to .the steeringmechanism of an automobile.

Fig. 2 isa detail view, and Y Fig. 3 is a view of the control mechanism.49 Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the device Vlooking from the top. Fig.5 is aside 4sectional view of one of the differential pulleys kand chainemployed in the device. Fig. 6

vis an end view of one of the diierential pulleys.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters indicate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 designates thefront axle of the motor vehicle having the usual steering wheels 2thereon mounted on the steering knuckles 3 operated-by the shift rod 4.Mounted on l this axle is the control mechanism 5. This mechanismembodies a housing 6 which is united to the' axle having elongated slots7 in the side bars thereof in which slots a taveling pulley, to be laterdescribed, trave s.

A steering column 8 connectedwith a steering wheel 9 leads downwardlythrough the vehicle and passes through an opening in the housing of thecontrol mechanism 5. This steering rod has a spline connection with thedifferential pulley unit 10. rThis differential unit comprises large andsmall pulleys 11 and 12 mounted on the lower end of the steering rod 8.yEach pulley is formed with sprocket teeth 13 for the purpose of engaginga power transmitting chain 14, which chain preferably is of the typecommonly known as cable chain, in a Inan- `ner to be later described andproviding,'in

effect, a sprocketconnection between said pulleys and the chain.v`Intermediate the housing 5 is the traveling pulley unit 14. This unitcomprises a pair of independently mounted rotating pulleys 15 Aand 16disposed on the shaft 17, which shaft is connected with the arms .18that in turn are connected with the shift rod 4 so that a movement ofthese arms is transmitted to the shift rod.

Disposed in the opposite end 0f the housing or frame is a seconddifferential pulley unit 19 comprising the large pulley 20 and the smallpulley 21 rotatably mounted on the shaft 22 and capable of adjustment insaid frame by the adjusting elements 23 serving to move Said pulley unitback and forth in the frame.` 4It will be observed that the large pulley20 of the differential pulley unit 19 is disposed in alinement with thesmall pulley 12 ofthe differential pulley unit 10. To transmit therotary motion of the shaft 8 to the movable pulley unit 14, by means ofwhich the shift rod 4 is operated through the agency of the connectinglink 15 attached to the shiftabl'e pulley unit, the power transmittingchain 14 is employed. This chain extends around the pulley 11 of unit10, thence across to the opposed large pulley 2O of unit 19, thence tothe small pulley 16 of thel traveling unit 14, thence around the smallpulley 21 4of the differential pulley unit 1 then around the smallpulley 12 of the differential unit 10, thence shattrod el, so as tooperate the steering knuckles and shift the-steering Wheels ot' theautomobile. It Will furthermore be -noted that the rotary movement otthe shaft 8 and a similar movementof the differential pulley unit 1Gserves to bodily shift the travelingpul-ley unit la back and forth orgives this unit va reciprocating motion. This reciprocating motion isused in the present embodiment ot-.thevinvention for operating thesteering mechanism,

From the foregoing description, it Will be apparent thatthe rotarymovement ot the vsteering'shaft S permits the steering` Wheels yto beoperated through the control mechanism described. These Wheels are,however. locked against anyimovement by reason of strains or forcesapplied to the Wheels. The wheels yare therefore maintained in astraight course, and their posit-ion Will not shift unless through theoperation of the steering shaft bythe operator. Should lthe Wheels runagainst obstacles on the road, they will not be deflected because thetraveling pulley unit-link 14 will transfer this strain to the pulleyunits 10 and 19 and the pulleys thereon, `and by reason of the Wrappingof the chain 14 yaround these pulleys,

11, 1Q, 20, and 21 and the pulleys 15 yand 16 ofthe unit. 14, this unitis firmly locked against any sliding movement in either vdirection. Anymovement applied to the unit is taken up by the chains Wrappedtherearound. and transmitted to the differential pulley units `at eachnd .of the lframe, thereby firmly lock-,ing the traveling pulley unit inits .adjustedposition, irrespective ot the force .applied thereto, Itwill be .observed that a chain is utilized in :this mechanism and thatthe dilferential pulley units are formed -With .teeth 4.fitting .thelinks .of `the chain.

It will furthermore :be understood that this control mechanism islcapable of other uses such, for instance, as in hoists` elevators,etc., or `in act, in any place Where it is desirable to elevate .or movea device and to cause said .device to remain in a eiven position againstany forces or strains When such movement discontinues. For instance, ifused in a hoist, the traveling pulley unit vmay be moved to Aany desiredposition by the -operation .ot' the shaft rotating one otl thedilerential pulleys, and as soon as this rotary movement discontinuos,the travelingr pulley unit Will remain in the position it then occupies,irrespective o't the strains placed thereon.

Ha ring thus described the invention, what claim is:

1. In a control device, an operating shaft, a diilerential pulley unitdriven thereby having` a pair ot pulleys, a second rotary dil'ierentialpulley unit having a pair ot pulleys, an interposed traveling pulleyunit having' a pair ot' pulleys thereon, and a pov-:er transmitting`chain traveling around all of said pulleys for shitting the travelingunit upon the rotation of one of the differential units.

2. A control device comprising casing, a differential pulley unit havinga large pulley and a small pulley, av shaft for rotating said pulleys, asecond differential p ulley unit comprising' a large and small pulley,spaced from said lirst ditlierential pulley unit, a traveling' pulleyunit between said pulleys. a pair ot pulleys in said unit, an operatingelement connected with said unit, and a driving chain extending aroundall of said ulleys tor reciprocating said traveling pu ley unit upon therotation of one of said .diferential pulleys and tor locking said unitagainst movement by stresses applied thereto.

3. A control comprising a differential pulley unit having a pair ofpulleys thereon, means for rotating said pulleys, a second dilierentialpulley unit spaced from the first mentioned unit, a slidable travelingelement, a driving chain tor shitting said element upon the rotation ofsaid tirst- `mentioned unit, said chain extending from the pulley aroundone pulley on the first unit, thence around the pulley on the secondunit, thence in driving' connection .with said slidabletravelingelement, thence around a pulley' on the second mentioned unit,thence around a pulley on the lirst mentioned unit, and then around saidsliding element to said first mentioned pulley.

Al. In a control, the combination with a trame, ot a driving'differential pulley nuit journaled therein and having a pair ofpulleys,` a dilierential pulley unit spaced from the .driving pulleyunit and comprising a pair ot pulleys, a traveling eiement between saidpulleys.v and a chain disposed around all ot said pulleys and saidtraveling element for shitting' the traveling element upon the rotationof the driving pulley but preventing movement ot said traveling elementin response to forces otherwise applied thereto.

In a steering mechanism, the combination with a steering column, otsteering Wheels, and means interposed between said column and'saidsteering Wheels :tor operating said Wheels upon the actuation ot' thecolumn While preventing a shifting of the Wheels by forces applieddirectly thereto, said means Comprising a controlling device having adriven differential pulley unit aotuated with -said column, a pair ofpulleys in said unit, an idling dilerential pulley 'unit spaced from thedriven pulley unit, a sliding element, a chain extending around saidpulleys in both of said units and around Said slidable element forshifting said element upon the rotation of the driving pulley unit, andLa connection between said sliiftable eleinent and said steering Wheels.

In testimony whereof I aliix lny signature.

CHARLES o. TAYLOR.

